Department for Transport

Driverless Vehicles

Alex Burghart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Transport of 14 May 2018, Official Report, column 99, if he will make an assessment of the compatibility of the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic with the (a) testing and (b) use of fully autonomous vehicles.

Jesse Norman: Like many other countries who have ratified the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, the 1968 Convention on Road Traffic, or both, the Government considers that neither convention prohibits the testing or use of automated vehicles. This applies to all automated vehicles, including fully automated ones where a person only decides whether to use the automated vehicle, schedules the journey, and chooses destinations.

Motor Vehicles: Sales

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to bring forward the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2040 to 2030.

Jesse Norman: The Government’s ambition is for almost every car and van to be zero emission by 2050. In order to achieve this, we have said we will end the sale of new conventional petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2040. Our ambition is supported by one of the most comprehensive packages of support in the world for ultra low emission vehicles, and we have one of the biggest markets in Europe for ultra low emission vehicles. Meeting the 2040 commitment should be industry-led, with Government monitoring developments closely. Against a rapidly evolving international context, we will seek to maintain ambitious targets and our leadership position, intervening firmly if not enough progress is being made. Government’s role in the decarbonisation of road transport will be set out in the forthcoming zero emission road transport strategy.

Road Traffic: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what additional funding his Department is providing to reduce congestion in York.

Jesse Norman: In addition to a share of the formula distribution of the National Productivity Investment Fund (NPIF) in 2017/18 of £626,000, plus Integrated Transport Block funding for £1.57m in 2017/18 and 2018/19, all of which could be used for projects to ease congestion, the City of York Council was awarded a further £2.845m in October 2017 through a competition for NPIF funding. The NPIF project in York, the Smart Travel Evolution Programme (STEP) will provide a city-wide digital platform supporting transport data collection and analysis, real-time transport modelling and travel information. It will interact with traffic control systems throughout the city and prepare York for the challenges and opportunities from the arrival of connected and autonomous vehicles.

A120: Clacton

Giles Watling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on the local economy in Clacton of dualling the A120.

Jesse Norman: The Department has contributed funding to Essex County Council’s work to assess the benefits and costs of options for dualling the A120 between Braintree and the A12. The findings from this work are due to be concluded later this year.

Department for Transport: Procurement

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many contractors have been employed by his Department for (a) up to one year, (b) between one and five years, (c) between five and 10 years and (d) over 10 years.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: As at 30th April 2018, the number of contractors working in the Department (including Central Department and Executive Agencies) is as follows: 141 working for up to 1 year86 working for between one and five yearsLess than 5 working for between five and ten years0 working for over 10 years

Aviation

Sir Vince Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has plans to update passenger demand forecast models to reflect technological advances in the aviation sector; and if he will make statement.

Jesse Norman: The Department published its last set of passenger demand forecasts in October 2017 – this is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-aviation-forecasts-2017. This includes a significant update to the assumptions (including those relating to technology) underpinning the Fleet Mix Model, which was independently peer reviewed by Ricardo Energy & Environment. The peer review - published at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dft-aviation-fleet-mix-model-a-review – found the model to be fit for purpose. Fuel burn rates by aircraft type were also updated in line with Ricardo Energy & Environment’s advice. The Department will continue to update its models to take account of technological and other developments in the aviation sector.

Aviation

Sir Vince Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to encourage the distribution of long-haul aviation traffic around the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: The Governments policy is to seek liberal air services agreements with our partners, enabling the widest access possible to aviation markets for consumers and businesses. The developing Aviation Strategy will look to future priorities, and how Government can support the connectivity needed by UK businesses.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Leicestershire

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much compensation has been disbursed from the public purse to home-owners who are affected by the High Speed Two project in Leicestershire to date.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The total cash sum paid to homeowners affected by the High Speed Two (HS2) project in Leicestershire to date is £1,824,533.

Railways: North of England

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the (a) feasibility and (b) potential merits of completing work on the Northern Powerhouse Rail at the same time as High Speed Two.

Joseph Johnson: The delivery of High Speed Two is integral to the success of Northern Powerhouse Rail and these two transformational projects will be complimentary to each other, as outlined in TfN’s Strategic Transport Plan. In October 2017 the Chancellor announced £300m of funding to futureproof HS2 to accommodate future Northern Powerhouse Rail services. Potential timescales for the delivery will be considered as part of the ongoing work on the business case for Northern Powerhouse Rail.

Railways: Bradford

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of routing Northern Powerhouse Rail through Bradford.

Joseph Johnson: Transport for the North, with support from the Department, are developing a business case for NPR which is due at the end of 2018. As part of the business case a range of options are under development for improving connectivity between Manchester and Leeds, including options which would serve Bradford.

Railways: North of England

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with Transport for the North on the proposed route of Northern Powerhouse Rail.

Joseph Johnson: Northern Powerhouse Rail aims to dramatically improve rail connectivity between major cities across the North of England. A range of options are under development including new lines, options that make use of HS2 infrastructure and substantial upgrades, as well as options to develop stations. We are due to receive a business case from Transport for the North at the end of 2018.

Heathrow Airport: Construction

Sir Vince Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the effect of the expansion at Heathrow Airport on the (a) sustainability and (b) capacity of regional airports.

Sir Vince Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the costs and benefits to (a) the public purse and (b) passengers of the expansion of regional airports.

Sir Vince Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the financial benefit to the public purse of an increase in long-haul aviation traffic from regional airports.

Jesse Norman: The revised draft Airports National Policy Statement on new runway capacity and infrastructure at airports in the South-East of England considers impacts of Heathrow expansion on airports across the UK. It finds that a North-West runway at Heathrow delivers the best connectivity for the UK as a whole, with regional airports expected to continue displaying strong passenger growth by 2050. The UK is one of the best connected countries in the world by air, with six airports handling more than five million passengers per annum, offering an intensive short-haul network and an increasing number of long-haul destinations. In addition almost 30 regional airports offer important direct connectivity to key business and leisure destinations. The Government is developing a new, long-term Aviation Strategy to 2050 and beyond which aims to achieve a safe, secure and sustainable aviation sector that meets the needs of consumers and of a global, outward-looking Britain. A ‘Next Steps’ document published in April, stated that the Government will consider whether our nations and regions are suitably connected by either air or surface access transport to the rest of the UK and to key overseas markets.

Heathrow Airport: Construction

Sir Vince Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government has made an assessment of the potential restrictions that will be required on the expansion of regional airports in order to meet targets set in the Climate Change Act 2008 in the event that the expansion at Heathrow Airport takes place.

Jesse Norman: The Updated Appraisal Report, published alongside the revised draft Airports National Policy Statement in October 2017, sets out the carbon scenarios used by the Government to address uncertainties over the future policy treatment of international aviation emissions. It confirms that expansion via a Northwest Runway at Heathrow Airport can be delivered within the UK’s carbon obligations under the Climate Change Act 2008. The Government considers that growth in the aviation sector, including at regional airports, is compatible with the UK's climate change obligations. Even in a scenario where aviation carbon emissions are capped to the Committee on Climate Change’s planning assumption of 37.5 MtCO2, the analysis showed that passenger numbers would continue to grow at regional airports. The Government will continue to develop policy relating to carbon emissions from aviation as part of the new Aviation Strategy.

Airports: Environmental Impact Assessment

Sir Vince Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to develop the Government's methods of assessment of the environmental impacts of airport expansion.

Jesse Norman: The Department for Transport has prepared an Appraisal of Sustainability (AoS) to support the development of the Airports NPS and assess the environmental impacts of airport expansion. The AOS has been developed by external expert consultants, with advice of specialists from across Government and, where appropriate, in line with the Department’s published Transport Appraisal Guidance (Web-TAG). The Government has consulted on the AoS twice, most recently between October and December 2017, and is considering comments on the appraisal methods and appraisal results raised in consultation responses. The AoS will be updated, if required, prior to laying any final proposed Airports NPS in Parliament. Web-TAG is kept under periodic review.

Heathrow Airport: Construction

Sir Vince Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimates he has made of the level of financial support from the public purse that would be necessary to facilitate the construction of a third runway at Heathrow Airport.

Sir Vince Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of a third runway at Heathrow on the public purse.

Sir Vince Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding from the public purse he plans to provide to Heathrow Airport to facilitate the delivery of a third runway and associated infrastructure.

Jesse Norman: The Government has always been clear that any scheme for additional airport capacity should be financed by the private sector. The Airports Commission concluded that all three of its shortlisted schemes were financeable without public support. As set out in the revised draft Airports National Policy Statement, independent financial advisers have undertaken further work for the Government, and agree that all three schemes are financeable without on that basis. Heathrow Airport Limited would also pay in full the cost of any surface access required for airport expansion. Where there is a surface access scheme that is not solely required to deliver airport capacity and that has a wider range of beneficiaries the Government, along with relevant stakeholders, will consider the need for a public contribution alongside an appropriate contribution from the airport on a case-by-case basis.

Airports

Sir Vince Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made on the effect of the development of aircraft technology on the future role of hub airports.

Jesse Norman: The Department recognises that emerging technologies such as electric aircraft and automation have the potential to benefit passengers and the UK’s transport market; for example, by providing new options for how passengers or goods travel between our cities and regions. This could have an impact on how the UK’s airport network is used, potentially improving how we use our airports and our transport networks. As part of the Government’s developing Aviation Strategy, we continue to engage with the aviation industry throughout the strategy process to understand the specific effects on airports.

Public Transport: Concessions

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has plans to introduce discounts for family groups to use public transport.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: Discounted rail travel is already available via the Family & Friends Railcard which offers one third off fares for adults and sixty per cent discount for children on rail journeys throughout the UK. Local authorities have the power to offer local concessions to groups such as families and are best placed to make decisions that match local needs and circumstances. In addition, the new Enhanced Partnership powers in the Bus Services Act allow local transport authorities and bus operators to agree standard ticket rules, such as eligibility for reduced fares across operators.

Aviation: Glasgow

Angus Brendan MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average flight time is between (a) London City airport and Glasgow and (b) Glasgow and London City airport.

Jesse Norman: The Department for Transport does not routinely collect or publish information pertaining to average flight times between airports. According to data from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) the only airline that operated a service between London City and Glasgow in 2017 was British Airways under the BA CityFlyer Ltd subsidiary. Consequently, this information should be obtainable from the airline.

Road Works

Alex Chalk: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to support local authorities to hold to account utility companies that fail to reinstate the original road or pavement surface after the completion of their work.

Jesse Norman: Local Highway Authorities in England already have powers under the 1991 New Roads and Street Works Act to require utility companies to reinstate the highway to the prescribed standard set out in the Specification for Reinstating Openings in the Highway. The same Act also provides Authorities with powers to inspect utility works to ensure standards are met. The 2004 Traffic Management Act introduced the ability for authorities to operate a street works permit scheme which ensures proactive management of how works are undertaken. To date some 65% of authorities have introduced such a scheme. Currently the Department is looking at a range of measures with the sector as a whole to continue to improve the quality of reinstatements of the highway improves. This is in addition to the wider point recently made by my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State that utility companies should look first at laying utilities under pavements or verges rather than under the road itself.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Renewable Energy

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the evidential basis is for his decision to curtail development of renewable energy.

Claire Perry: The Government has not decided to curtail the development of renewable energy. Clean growth is a key part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy. The UK is a world-leader in cutting emissions, and last year renewables generated a record 29.4% of our electricity. The Government is making up to a further £557 million of annual support available under Contracts for Difference to bring forward new renewable projects, and will have invested £2.5 billion on low carbon innovation by 2021

Wind Power

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the evidential basis is for his proposal to ban new onshore wind farms.

Claire Perry: The UK Government has not proposed to ban new onshore wind farms. We were elected with a manifesto commitment to support the development of wind projects on the remote islands of Scotland, where they will directly benefit local communities. A consultation on this and other issues has recently closed and we are currently considering the responses we have received. We do not believe that more large-scale onshore wind is right for England. The previous Government introduced new planning tests to ensure that new onshore wind farms are only granted planning permission where local people support them.

Renewable Energy

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much the Government plans to invest in renewable energy in 2018-2019; and whether this figure is an increase from the previous year.

Claire Perry: The figures for environmental levies across Great Britain are published by the Office for Budget Responsibility alongside the Budget and Spring Statement fiscal events. The latest figures are available here http://obr.uk/efo/economic-fiscal-outlook-march-2018/. The forecasted support for renewables in 2017-18 is £7.5bn and is expected to increase to £8.8bn in 2018-19. This support does not include transport. Government funded investment through the Renewables Heat Incentive has committed spend of up to £780m for 2017/18 and £1010m for 2019/20. An additional £177m in innovation funding is also committed to further reduce the cost of renewables.

Pubs Code Adjudicator

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many cases have been submitted to the Office of the Pub Code Adjudicator; and how many such cases have been concluded since its inception.

Richard Harrington: Arbitration data is published quarterly by the Office of the Pubs Code Adjudicator. The most recent release shows that between 21 July 2016, when the Pubs Code came into force, and 31 March 2018 there were 262 referrals of which 216 had been accepted for arbitration. 109 of the cases accepted for arbitration have concluded.

Tidal Power: Swansea Bay

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress he has made on negotiations with Welsh Assembly Government on the Swansea Tidal Lagoon Project; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry: The Department has had a number of constructive discussions with the Welsh Government in relation to the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon project.

Tidal Power

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of the construction of further tidal lagoons.

Claire Perry: A response to the Hendry Review into the strategic case for tidal lagoons will be published shortly.

Regional Planning and Development: North of England

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what interest rate for finance under the Northern Powerhouse was offered to successful bidders by local authority district in each month since January 2015.

Andrew Griffiths: The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF), has a total of five delivery partners operating the seven funds. These funds utilise a range of interest rates which are set according to the risk of each investment or loan. The rates used are commercially sensitive and not publicly available.

Solar Power: Imports

Mr Simon Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy what assessment he has made of the potential effects on the small-scale renewables industry of introducing (a) tax incentives, (b) government-backed loans and (c) removal of EU tariffs on imported solar panels after April 2019.

Claire Perry: We are considering options for small-scale low-carbon generation beyond 2019, and a consultation on the Feed-in-Tariffs scheme will be published in due course.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Kosovo

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many staff from his Department or seconded from other Ministerial Departments have been assigned to roles in the (a) British Embassy, Pristina, (b) United Nations Mission in Kosovo, (c) NATO Kosovo Force, (d) European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo and (e) other international organisations' missions in Kosovo in each year since 2008.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has been unable to provide all the information requested. Where this is the case, I have provided an explanation. In addition, where staff numbers are below five people, I have not specified the exact figure. In addition, as a matter of policy, we do not disclose exact figures where staff numbers are below five people.(a) As of 31 March each year between 2013 and 2018, the following number of Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) UK-based staff have been posted to the British Embassy in Pristina:YearNumber of FCO UK-Based Staff2013620147201552016Fewer than 52017Fewer than 52018Fewer than 5 These numbers include staff who were on interchange from other Whitehall departments for the duration of their posting on FCO terms and conditions of service.The FCO does not hold centrally a breakdown of how many FCO UK-based staff were overseas between 2008 to 2012. We are only able to provide information on the total FCO UK-based headcount data. The FCO outlined these figures in a previous Parliamentary Question (142785):https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm130226/text/130226w0002.htm(b) The Government provided secondees to the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) between 1999 and 2008. However in the timeframe available, we cannot ascertain whether any such secondees remained in post after 2008. The FCO does not currently second staff to UNMIK.(c) The FCO does not second staff to the NATO Kosovo Force (KFOR). Each year from 2009 to 2016, there were UK-based Ministry of Defence (MOD) civilian staff deployed to Kosovo as Deputy Director or Director to the NATO Advisory and Liaison Team (and its predecessor organisations). The FCO currently seconds external staff to the NATO Advisory and Liaison Team. The number each year is under five.(d) The FCO supplied the following numbers of secondees to the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) since 2011. Data on secondees prior to 2011 is not held centrally.YearNumber of UK secondments to EULEX20188 (including secondees to the Specialist Chambers/Special Prosecutor's Office in the Hague)20179 (including secondees to the Specialist Chambers/Special Prosecutor's Office in the Hague)20169201443201337201261201130 (e) Staff have been seconded by the FCO to the EU Special Representative (EUSR) in Kosovo. The number each year was under five. Staff have previously been seconded by the UK to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) mission in Kosovo. However, from 2008 onwards, these secondees were not paid by the Government; they received living allowances from the OSCE. From 2009 to 2012, seven staff were seconded to the International Civilian Office.

Kosovo: Overseas Aid

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the UK's financial contribution to the budgets of the (a) United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, (b) European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo, (c) NATO Kosovo Force and (d) other international organisations' missions in Kosovo has been in each year since 2008.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has been unable to provide all the information requested. Where this is the case, we have provided an explanation.(a) The UK's share of the budget for the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) is paid from the UK's Peacekeeping Budget. Our contribution to this is funded from the Government's Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF). The UK's share of the UN Peacekeeping Budget is currently 5.8%. Our payments to the UN Peacekeeping Budget for the last seven financial years are as follows:Financial YearPayment17/18£1.4m16/17£1.2m15/16£1.4m14/15£1.6m13/14£1.6m12/13£2.2m11/12£1.8mData prior to FY 2011/12 is not available on the FCO's current system. To search the archives would incur disproportionate costs.(b) The UK's contribution to the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) comes from our overall contribution to the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) budget, which is calculated on the basis of Member States' GDP. We do not make mission specific contributions. To give an indication of costs, we pay £34m per year to cover all EU CSDP Missions (Peacekeeping and non-Peacekeeping).(c) The UK contributes to the NATO Kosovo Force through our overall contributions to NATO Operation Balkans, in accordance with the UK's NATO cost share in force at the time that the budget was set. Records accessible in the time available date back to 2009 and set out the UK's contribution to Operation Balkans: YearPayment (Euros)UK's NATO cost share20093.086m12.0542%20102.910m11.5478%20122.803m11.1677%20132.801m11.1677%20142.588m10.4790%20152.494m10.4790%20162.039m9.8485%20172.245m9.8485%20182.384m10.4581%(d) In 2018, the total funds allocated to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Field Operations was €79.5m, of which €17.4m was allocated to its mission in Kosovo. The UK's share of this allocation was 11.09%.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Brexit: Northern Ireland

Ged Killen: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will make an assessment of the implications for the Government's policies of the conclusions of the the paper, Northern Ireland and the UK’s Exit from the EU, What do people think, published by Queen’s University Belfast in May 2018.

Mr Robin Walker: The Prime Minister reaffirmed her commitments at Mansion House, recognising the unique circumstances in Northern Ireland, and our shared commitments to avoiding a hard border, including any physical infrastructure and related checks and controls between Northern Ireland and Ireland. The Prime Minister has also been clear that we must ensure the same unfettered access for Northern Ireland’s business to the whole of the UK’s internal market. We want a deal that works for all parts of the community in Northern Ireland. We have always been clear from the outset that the best way to achieve this is through the overall relationship between the UK and the EU. We agreed in the Joint Report that a backstop option to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland and maintain the economic integrity of the UK should be translated into legally binding text. The Prime Minister has been clear that the current drafting of the EU’s backstop proposal is unacceptable and we will bring forward our own proposal.

Department of Health and Social Care

Learning Disability: Nurses

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many learning disability nurses have been employed by the NHS in each year since 2010.

Stephen Barclay: NHS Digital publishes workforce statistics. The following table shows the full time equivalent (FTE) figures for learning disabilities/difficulties nurses working in National Health Service trusts and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in each of the last seven years. Learning disabilities/ difficulties nurses in NHS trusts and CCGs in England as at 30 September each specified year and latest data available, (FTE). Learning Disabilities / Difficulties NursesSeptember 20105,137September 20114,667September 20124,311September 20134,035September 20143,776September 20153,577September 20163,442September 20173,305January 20183,350Source: NHS Digital Monthly Hospital and Community Health Services workforce statisticsOn 9 May we announced £10 million funding for incentives for postgraduate students who go on to work in mental health and learning disability fields, as well as those postgraduates who go on to work in community nursing roles. We are working closely with stakeholders on the roll out of the scheme.

Dental Services

Mr Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the underspend for NHS dentist services was in the (a) 2014-15, (b) 2015-16, (c) 2016-17 and (d)  2017-18 financial years.

Steve Brine: The information is currently not available in the format requested.

Kidney Diseases: Medical Treatments

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to EU dialysis services for people travelling abroad after the UK has left the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Barclay: The Department has not made a formal assessment of the adequacy of access to European Union dialysis services for people travelling abroad after the United Kingdom has left the EU. However, we engage regularly with our partners in the National Health Service and industry on this matter. We understand the importance of maintaining reciprocal healthcare arrangements for people with chronic conditions. This is why we have been clear we want to continue participation in the European Health Insurance Card scheme, subject to a reciprocal deal with the EU. We will return to the rights of people not in scope by the end of the implementation period in future talks.

Abortion: Drugs

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will ensure that the administration of mifepristone and misoprostol during a medical abortion will continue to be medically supervised in designated clinical settings.

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to carry out research into the physical health risks associated with the ingestion of the abortion drug misoprostol; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the article in Obstetrics and Gynaecology on Immediate complications after medical compared with surgical termination of pregnancy published in 2009, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policy of representations made by independent abortion providers to allow for abortion pills to be taken outside of a clinical setting.

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the psychological impact of passing a foetus at home on a woman who has had an early medical abortion.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Government’s priority is to ensure that women who require abortion services have access to safe, high-quality care. Abortions in England must be performed under the legal framework set by the Abortion Act 1967. We are not currently in a position to recommend that the home be approved as a class of place under Section 1(3)(a) of the Abortion Act in England. However, we are keeping the position under review, including reviewing the available evidence and having regard to the ongoing legal proceedings concerning home use in Scotland. The evidence shows that the use of misoprostol is safe for women receiving abortion treatment who have no contraindications. Common physical side effects include abdominal pain, diarrhoea, dizziness, headache, nausea, rash and vomiting. Uncommon side effects are abnormal vaginal bleeding, pyrexia (high temperature) and uterine cramping. We are not aware of any assessment of the psychological impact of passing a fetus at home but in 2011 the World Health Organization published a systematic review, Comparative effectiveness, safety and acceptability of medical abortion at home and in a clinic. On acceptability, studies were examined that looked at satisfaction with the method, the likelihood of choosing the method again and the likelihood of recommending medical abortion to a friend. For medical abortions completed at home the average satisfaction rate was 88.4% and analysis showed no difference in satisfaction rates between women taking misoprostol at home or in clinic. In England, most women undergoing early medical abortion leave the clinic after taking the misoprostol and complete the procedure at home. A copy of the review can be viewed online at: http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/89/5/10-084046/en/

Abortion

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many complications resulting from medical abortions were reported in the UK in 2017.

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the relative frequency of complications arising from medical as opposed to surgical abortions; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of women with complications following a (a) surgical and (b) medical abortion in each of the last five years.

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many women were diagnosed with complications following a (a) surgical and (b) medical abortion in each of the last five years.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Data on how many complications resulting from medical abortions were reported in England and Wales in 2017 is not yet available. 2017 abortion data will be published on 7 June 2018. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ 2011 clinical guideline on the Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion highlights that abortion using both medical and surgical methods is a safe procedure for which major complications and mortality are rare at all gestations. The guideline notes that medical abortion with mifepristone and misoprostol is associated with a longer duration of bleeding, more pain and gastrointestinal adverse effects, and a higher likelihood of being incomplete than vacuum aspiration under general anaesthetic up to 14 weeks of gestation. A copy of the guideline can be viewed online at the following link: https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/abortion-guideline_web_1.pdf Information on the number of women diagnosed with complications following a surgical and medical abortion in each of the last five years for which data is published is set out in the following table. Legal abortions - complications by procedure, residents of England and Wales, 2012-16YearTotal all proceduresSurgicalMedical2012278911872013235831522014330101229201529485209201629488206Note:Data on complications is collected on HSA4 forms which provide a notification of each abortion.Complications which arise after the form has been completed will not be included in the official statistics.

Mental Health Act 1983 Independent Review

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the work undertaken to date by the Independent Review of the Mental Health Act 1983.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Independent Review of the Mental Health Act published an interim report on Tuesday 1 May 2018 which is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-review-of-the-mental-health-act-interim-report The Government commissioned this review with the objective of ensuring that the Mental Health Act works better for patients and their families, in view of rising rates of detention and the current disproportionate number of people from black and minority ethnic groups detained under the Act. The Government welcomes the good progress made by Sir Simon Wessely and his team so far, including the wide-ranging engagement with stakeholders and service users which has been undertaken to date. We look forward to receiving the review’s final recommendations when published in the autumn.

Compulsorily Detained Psychiatric Patients

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the annual statistics published by NHS Digital entitled Inpatients Formally Detained in Hospitals Under the Mental Health Act 1983 and patients subject to Supervised Community Treatment, what legislation patients are detained under when they are detained under previous legislation (Fifth Schedule) and other Acts; and what safeguards are in place to ensure that those patients are appropriately detained.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The publication Inpatients Formally Detained in Hospitals Under the Mental Health Act 1983 and patients subject to Supervised Community Treatment was superseded in 2017 by Mental Health Act Statistics, Annual Figures. NHS Digital’s data definition for “previous legislation (Fifth Schedule of the Act)” refers to people admitted to hospital under the Mental Health Act 1959 under transitional arrangements in place when the 1983 Act came into force. Its definition of "other Acts" includes Criminal Procedure (Insanity and Unfitness to Plead) Act 1991, Section 47 of the National Assistance Act 1948, Sections 1, 2 or 12 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1969, Children Act 1989, and Section 3 of the Powers of Criminal Courts Act 1973. The operation of the other Acts named, where they remain extant, is a matter for other Government departments.

National Survey of Bereaved People

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timetable is for the next publication of the National Survey of Bereaved People (VOICES).

Caroline Dinenage: Since 2012 the National Survey of Bereaved People (VOICES) survey has provided valuable insight into the quality of care delivered to people in the last three months of their lives, highlighting variations in the quality of care delivered in different areas of the country and to different groups of patients. Following publication of the last set of survey results in June 2016, NHS England held a consultation on the future of the VOICES survey to seek views on the approach and relevance of the survey to ensure that it remained fit for purpose. Whilst the response showed that the VOICES survey remained a valuable tool, key amongst its findings were that the majority of respondents indicated that the VOICES survey would be more helpful if the sample size were made large enough to report at a local commissioner level.Following this, work was undertaken to revise the survey and consider approaches to a larger sample size and then put in place arrangements to re-commission the VOICES survey. NHS England has been involved in discussions with the Office for National Statistics, which collects the death registration data used to identify survey recipients, about arrangements for access to the data for the new survey. Changes to the safeguarding arrangements on data-sharing, designed to ensure any concerns about care raised via the survey can be appropriately investigated, have resulted in delays to commencing the new VOICES survey. Work is ongoing to resolve this matter, and a timetable for the publication of the next survey cannot be provided at this time.

Veterans: Mental Health Services

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of veterans that have received mental health support in each of the last five years.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of mental health support for veterans in each of the last five years.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Most services for most veterans are delivered without their veteran status being reported centrally. Some data is available for some veteran specific services. The number of referrals to separately identified veteran specific services, including both care and signposting, veterans identified in general Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services and the resources allocated in England are in the following table.  2013/142014/152015/162016/17Veteran Specific services3,0053,6325,0735,374Identified veteran in IAPT16,05015,49019,02020,005 Allocated Resource (£ million)4.74.76.46.4 In order to improve and strengthen the offer to veterans, during 2016 NHS England carried out a comprehensive review of mental health services for veterans. Feedback from veterans and their families led to significant improvements in the commissioning of services. In 2017 NHS England launched the Veterans Mental Health Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service (TILs) which increases access and treatment to appropriate and timely mental health services for both armed forces serving personnel approaching discharge and veterans with mental health difficulties. NHS England also launched the Veterans Mental Health Complex Treatment Service in April 2018, which builds on the launch of TILs and provides an enhanced service for veterans who have military-attributable complex mental health problems that have not been resolved earlier in the care/support pathway.

Dementia

Thelma Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans the Government has to support people with young-onset dementia.

Caroline Dinenage: We remain committed to delivering the Challenge on Dementia 2020 in full to make England the best place in the world for people with dementia to live. The Challenge and the commitments made in it apply to everyone diagnosed with dementia regardless of age.

Dementia

Thelma Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his Department's policies of the the recommendations of the fix dementia care reports published by the Alzheimer’s Society.

Thelma Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his Department's policies of the actions for government set out by Alzheimer’s Research UK on its website.

Caroline Dinenage: The Government’s Challenge on Dementia and associated implementation plan describes a programme of action to transform care and experience for people living with dementia, their carers and families by 2020. We are committed to implementing the Challenge in full. We are currently undertaking a Review of the Challenge on Dementia implementation plan which will reflect on what has been achieved so far and what more needs to be done to meet the commitment. The results will inform the next stage of the Challenge, and establish what additional actions can be taken to ensure the commitments are met by 2020 as planned. We have acknowledged that an ageing society means that we need to reach a longer-term sustainable settlement for social care. This is why the Government has committed to publishing a Green Paper by summer 2018 setting out its proposals for reform. The steps that we are already taking will address the issues raised in the reports to ensure that people with dementia receive high quality care and support from health and social services at all times.

Dementia

Thelma Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Care Commissioning Groups (CCGs) have reached a 75 per cent formal diagnosis rate for dementia; and what support his Department plans to provide CCGs that have not reached that target.

Thelma Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people had to wait for longer than 12 weeks for a formal diagnosis of dementia after their first appointment with a GP.

Caroline Dinenage: The national commitment for the dementia diagnosis rate is two-thirds of the estimated population living with dementia to have a formal diagnosis. At the end of April 2018, 116 of 195 clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) had met the two-thirds national standard. A national diagnosis rate of at least 66.7% was initially achieved at the end 2015, and this has been maintained ever since. The current national dementia diagnosis rate is 67.3% (April 2018). NHS England recognises that CCGs have varying levels of need for support based on their performance against the indicators, and has developed a support offer to assist areas in improving dementia services including diagnosis rates.

Department for Education

Children's Centres

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department's announcement of 30 April 2018 on early language skills, what best practice his Department has identified for the effective use of children’s centres to improve outcomes.

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department's announcement on 30 April 2018 on early language skills, how much of the £8.5 million Early Years Social Mobility Peer Review Programme he expects to be spent on the development of effective strategies to improve outcomes through the effective use of children’s centres.

Nadhim Zahawi: The social mobility action plan, ‘Unlocking Talent, Fulfilling Potential’, sets a clear direction for all those who have a part to play, including those responsible for children’s centres. Our focus now is on delivering this, including through £10 million investment to build the evidence base for what works, and the £8.5 million local government programme, working with the Local Government Association. Through this programme of local authority peer support and challenge we will work with sector leaders to identify best practice in closing the gap between disadvantaged children and their peers, including through children’s centres. The peer review programme will explore the effectiveness of a range of local services, including the use of children’s centres, in improving early language outcomes for disadvantaged children at age five. Further information about the funding for the programme will be announced in due course.

Children: Disadvantaged

Thelma Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of (a) all children and (b) children eligible for free school meals reached a good level of development at the age of five in Colne Valley constituency in each of the last three years.

Nadhim Zahawi: The requested data is in the attached table. 



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Disabled Students' Allowances

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Oral Answer of the Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation to the hon. Member for Battersea of 14 May 2018, Official Report, column 15, what the evidential basis is for his statement that students spend on average £250 on computers.

Mr Sam Gyimah: This figure comes from the most recent student income and expenditure survey ('Student income and expenditure survey 2014 to 2015’). This is a study on the income and expenditure of higher education students studying in England. This shows that the average spend on computers by full-time students across the academic year was £253. The average spend on computers by part-time students across the academic year was £243. The study’s findings are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/student-income-and-expenditure-survey-2014-to-2015.

Disabled Students' Allowances

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Oral Answer of the Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation to the hon. Member for Battersea of 14 May 2018, Official Report, column 15, what costs Disabled Students' Allowances are planned to cover.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Disabled Students’ Allowances are available to help students with the additional costs they may face in higher education because of their disability. There are four allowances available and for 2017/18 these are: a specialist equipment allowance of up to £5,358 for the duration of the course, a non-medical helper allowance of up to £21,305 for each academic year, a general allowance of up to £1,790 for each academic year and a uncapped travel allowance for each academic year. They can be used for the purchase of specialist equipment, to pay for a non-medical helper to support students with their studies, for other assessed disability related costs and for travel. The website https://www.gov.uk/disabled-students-allowances-dsas has details of the allowances for 2017 to 2018 and 2018 to 2019. As noted in the Oral Answer, the £200 student contribution is for computer hardware only. Students are not expected to pay for recommended specialist software or for training to use it.

Sure Start Programme: Expenditure

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the amount of money spent from the public purse on Sure Start in (a) 1997, (b) 2007, (c) 2010 and (d) 2017.

Nadhim Zahawi: The first financial year that the department allocated funding for Sure Start was 1998-99. Due to changes in the funding mechanism for Sure Start over time and differences in the funding streams included in the Sure Start heading, it is not possible to make direct comparisons between Sure Start expenditure in 2007 and expenditure from 2010 onwards. Expenditure on Sure Start in 2006-07 and 2007-08 was reported on page 175[1] of the Departmental Report for 2009: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130613001705/http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/d/departmental%20report%202009.PDF.  Since April 2010, local authorities have reported annual expenditure on children’s centres through annual Section 251 returns. This information is published at:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-local-authority-school-finance-data#local-authority-and-school-finance and https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/section-251-materials. Other government funding, including that for public health, adult skills training and troubled families may also be used locally to support services delivered wholly, or in part, through children’s centres.   [1]In 2006-07 and 2007-08 funding for Childcare and Nursery Education was merged with that of Sure Start. Therefore, expenditure in 2007 will not be directly comparable with other years.

Education: Expenditure

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the amount of money spent from the public purse on education in (a) 1997, (b) 2007, (c) 2010 and (d) 2017.

Nick Gibb: The Government publishes expenditure figures for education in the Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis (PESA), and is available in table 4.2 at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/630570/60243_PESA_Accessible.pdf. The figures include expenditure on education by Central Government, Local Government, Public Corporations and the Devolved Administrations, and include both current and capital expenditure. From 2011-12 onwards the grant-equivalent element of student loans is no longer part of the Total Expenditure of Services (TES) framework, and has therefore been removed from the education expenditure figures. For this reason, figures are not directly comparable between 2010-11 and 2011-12. A full explanation of this decision can be found in Annex E of PESA 2017.

Schools: Admissions

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 14 May 2018 to Question 142462, how many schools have refused to admit looked-after or previously looked after children and were subsequently directed by his Department to do so in the last three years.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Free Schools: Admissions

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many looked-after children were refused a place at a free school in each of the last three years; and which free schools have refused to admit looked-after or previously looked after children and were subsequently directed by his Department to do so in each of those years.

Nadhim Zahawi: School admissions are a local matter and applications are dealt with at a local level. The department does not hold information around the outcome of individual applications. We recognise that looked after children are amongst the most vulnerable in our society. The School Admissions Code requires admission authorities of all schools, including academies, to give highest priority in their admissions criteria to looked after children and previously looked after children. Where a school refuses to admit a looked after or previously looked after child, they can be directed to do so. The Education and Skills Funding Agency, who consider direction requests on behalf of my Rt hon. Friend the Secretary of State, have successfully worked with local authorities, and free schools to ensure such cases are resolved without the need for a direction to be issued.

York College: Finance

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding from the public purse was allocated to York College in each of the last 10 years.

Anne Milton: The Education and Skills Funding Agency and predecessor bodies publish annually the funding allocations for individual institutions for 16 to 19, adult and apprenticeship funding. Data for 16 to 19 further education includes the funding allocated and the related student numbers. However, funding for other funding models is cash-based and does not use student numbers as part of their calculation; therefore the data does not include this information. The allocations data is available on GOV.UK and in the National Archive. For information on all funding models during 2008/09 and 2009/10 funding years:www.gov.uk/government/publications/sfa-funding-allocations-to-training-providers-2005-to-2013. For 16 to 19 further education during 2010/11 funding year: webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130314181400/http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/executiveagencies/efa/funding/fundinga/b00204972/16-19-allocations/2010-11. For 16 to 19 further education during 2011/12 funding year:webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130314181352/http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/executiveagencies/efa/funding/fundinga/b00204972/16-19-allocations/2011-12. For 16 to 19 further education during 2012/13 funding year: webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130314181345/http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/executiveagencies/efa/funding/fundinga/b00204972/16-19-allocations/fe-2012-13For 16 to 19 further education during 2013/14 to 2017/18 funding years:www.gov.uk/guidance/16-to-19-education-funding-allocations#published-allocations. For information on apprenticeships and adult funding during 2010/11 to 2016/17 funding years: www.gov.uk/government/collections/funding-allocations-and-performance-management-for-providers#sfa-funding-allocations.For information on adult funding during 2017/18:www.gov.uk/government/publications/funding-allocations-to-training-providers-2017-to-2018.

York College: Per Capita Costs

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much per pupil funding for students was allocated to York College in each of the last 10 years.

Anne Milton: he Education and Skills Funding Agency and predecessor bodies publish annually the funding allocations for individual institutions for 16 to 19, adult and apprenticeship funding. Data for 16 to 19 further education includes the funding allocated and the related student numbers. However, funding for other funding models is cash-based and does not use student numbers as part of their calculation; therefore the data does not include this information. The allocations data is available on GOV.UK and in the National Archive. For information on all funding models during 2008/09 and 2009/10 funding years:www.gov.uk/government/publications/sfa-funding-allocations-to-training-providers-2005-to-2013.For 16 to 19 further education during 2010/11 funding year: webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130314181400/http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/executiveagencies/efa/funding/fundinga/b00204972/16-19-allocations/2010-11. For 16 to 19 further education during 2011/12 funding year:webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130314181352/http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/executiveagencies/efa/funding/fundinga/b00204972/16-19-allocations/2011-12. For 16 to 19 further education during 2012/13 funding year: webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130314181345/http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/executiveagencies/efa/funding/fundinga/b00204972/16-19-allocations/fe-2012-13For 16 to 19 further education during 2013/14 to 2017/18 funding years:www.gov.uk/guidance/16-to-19-education-funding-allocations#published-allocations. For information on apprenticeships and adult funding during 2010/11 to 2016/17 funding years: www.gov.uk/government/collections/funding-allocations-and-performance-management-for-providers#sfa-funding-allocations.For information on adult funding during 2017/18:www.gov.uk/government/publications/funding-allocations-to-training-providers-2017-to-2018.

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much per pupil funding was allocated to each primary school in York in each of the last 10 years.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much pupil funding has been allocated to secondary schools in York in each of the last 10 years.

Nick Gibb: Revenue funding allocated for primary and secondary education for each financial year from 2008 to 2018 for York local authority is shown in the table below. Funding is not allocated separately for primary and secondary pupils. The figures include funding for academies and free schools, as well as maintained schools. It also covers special schools and early years settings.Revenue amounts allocated for primary and secondary education for each financial year from 2008 to 2018 for York local authority. Financial YearFunding for Schools in York 2008-18£ millions2008-0998.32009-10101.62010-11107.42011-12107.62012-13109.52013-14117.42014-15121.92015-16122.92016-17124.02017-18129.0

Adoption: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many people have made claims to the Adoption Support Fund in York; and what the average award has been for such claims from that fund in each of the last three years.

Nadhim Zahawi: The attached table breaks down the figures of approved applications that York City Council has made on behalf of families to the Adoption Support Fund (ASF) over the last three years. These are broken down by year with the total funding and average funding of applications. The figures in the attached table relate to children who are eligible for ASF funding for whom York City Council have responsibility under the three-year rule, whether or not they live in York. 



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First Aid: Curriculum

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools provide first aid training to all pupils in (a) York and (b) UK.

Nick Gibb: The information requested is not held centrally. Schools can teach emergency first aid and life-saving skills in a variety of ways, for example through the wider curriculum, assemblies or personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education. Schools are able to draw on curriculum materials from expert organisations such as the PSHE Association and free teaching kits such as those from the British Heart Foundation.

Children: Day Care

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of families in (a) Coventry and (b) Coventry South constituency are in receipt of 15-hours a week free childcare for three and four-year olds.

Nadhim Zahawi: The numbers of three- and four-year-olds accessing funded early years education, by local authority, is available on the department’s website at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/education-provision-children-under-5-years-of-age-january-2017. Data is not produced at parliamentary constituency level so we are unable to provide a breakdown for Coventry South constituency.

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much (a) revenue and (b) capital funding was provided per pupil in state (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools in the West Midlands in each year since 2010.

Nick Gibb: Revenue funding allocated for primary and secondary education for each financial year from 2010 to 2018 for the West Midlands region is shown in the attached table. Funding is not allocated separately for primary and secondary pupils. Data on capital funding allocated to local areas prior to 2011-12 is not readily available. The West Midlands has directly received over £1.3 billion of core capital allocations from the Department for Education from 2011-12 to 2017-18 financial years. This covers condition allocations for maintained and voluntary aided schools, Devolved Formula Capital and basic need funding. It does not include other condition funding allocated directly to academies, sixth form colleges and Multi Academy Trusts (MATs) within the area. Standalone trusts and sixth form colleges are also not included, as they are instead eligible for funding through the annual Condition Improvement Fund. Additional funding is also available through centrally delivered programmes, including the £4.4 billion Priority Schools Building Programme.



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Primary Education: Free School Meals

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of primary school pupils were in receipt of free school meals in (a) Coventry and (b) Coventry South constituency in each year since 2010.

Nadhim Zahawi: The number and proportion of pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals is published at the annual ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ statistical release:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2017.Data is not summarised by parliamentary constituency, but data for each school is available in the Underlying data: SFR28/2017 of the annual ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ statistical release, contained in file ‘SFR28_2017_Schools_Pupils_UD’. The figures can be filtered by school phase (column N), Local Authority name (column H) and parliamentary constituency (column V). The number and percentage of pupils taking a free school meal on census day can be found in columns EB and EC, respectively, while the number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals can be found in column ED. Information for earlier years (from 2010 onwards) can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-school-and-pupil-numbers.

Children: Care Homes

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many places there are in children's homes in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Coventry.

Nadhim Zahawi: This is a matter for her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to the hon. Member for Coventry South and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Nurseries: Closures

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to protect nurseries from closure as a result of the introduction of 30 hours of free childcare.

Nadhim Zahawi: No nursery needs protecting from the introduction of 30 hours free childcare as providers don’t have to offer places if it doesn’t work with their business model. In fact, evidence from the evaluation of early delivery of 30 hours free childcare found that the majority of providers already delivering early years entitlements were willing and able to deliver 30 hours free childcare. By 2019-20, we will be spending an extra £1 billion annually on higher funding rates to deliver 30 hours free childcare. The rates are based on our review of childcare costs, which was described as both thorough and wide-ranging by the National Audit Office. We continue to monitor the delivery costs of early education and have commissioned new research to provide us with robust and detailed cost data of under five-year-olds from a representative sample of early year’s providers. The government continues to encourage providers to take advantage of the free packages of business support the department has invested in via Childcare Works and key sector organisations including National Day Nurseries Asssociation, Pre-School Learning Alliance and Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years. Support can be found at the following links: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/early-years-business-sustainability and www.childcareworks.co.uk.

Nurseries: Closures

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many nurseries in each region of England have closed in each of the last 5 years.

Nadhim Zahawi: This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the libraries of both Houses.

Special Educational Needs: Classroom Assistants

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to support teaching assistants to support children with special education needs and disabilities.

Nadhim Zahawi: Schools are best placed to determine how to meet the needs of their pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This includes making decisions about the recruitment, training and deployment of teaching assistants. To support schools in doing this, the Education Endorsement Foundation published a guidance report ”Making best use of Teaching Assistants”. The department has also funded a wide range of SEND-specific resources for school staff, including a guide to effective evidence-based practice in relation to SEND support. These resoures are available, free of charge, on the SEND gateway at: www.sendgateway.org.uk. In addition, the Government has recently signed a SEND school workforce contract with Nasen and University College London, on behalf of the Whole School SEND consortium, worth £3.4 million over two years to support schools to deliver high-quality SEND provision. The contract will draw on the Maximising the Impact of Teaching Assistants project, informed by evidence spanning more than a decade, to optimise teaching assistants’ interactions with all children, including those with SEND.

Apprentices: Small Businesses

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to encourage more SMEs to take on apprentices in (a) Kent, (b) Medway and (c) Gillingham and Rainham constituency.

Anne Milton: Smaller employers that do not pay the apprenticeship levy benefit from co-investment with 90 per cent of training and assessment costs for apprenticeships provided by government. For the smallest employers, those with fewer than 50 employees, 100 per cent of the training costs are covered for apprentices who are either 16 to 18-years old, 19 to 24-year-old care leavers or 19 to 24-year olds with an Education, Health and Care Plan. Through our recent procurement to deliver apprenticeship training to non-levy payers (including smaller employers), we gave hundreds of providers across the country initial awards totalling around £490 million covering the period from January 2018 to April 2019. In April 2018, we awarded a further £68.6 million to 142 providers, including providers in Kent, Medway, Gillingham and Rainham. Levy-paying employers are now able to transfer up to 10 per cent of funds to other employers, including smaller employers in their supply chain. This means that smaller organisations who may have previously felt that employing an apprentice was beyond their reach, will now have the opportunity to do so.

Apprentices: Universities

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many universities are registered as apprenticeship providers in (a) the South East and (b) Kent.

Anne Milton: There are 102 universities listed on the register of apprenticeship training providers and all are eligible to deliver anywhere in England. Of which, 17 are in the South East and one is in Kent.

Ministry of Justice

Magistrates: Age

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make it his policy to increase the maximum age for magistrates.

Lucy Frazer: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Alternatives to Prison

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people in England and Wales were the subject of a (a) probation supervision order and (b) community service order in each of the last five years; and how many of those people had previously served in the Armed Forces.

Lucy Frazer: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Prisons: Crimes of Violence

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of recorded assaults on prison staff resulted in a prosecution in each of the last three years.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what offences against the person were committed by serving prisoners on prison staff in the last year for which information is available; and what the sentencing outcome was in each of those cases.

Lucy Frazer: We are taking urgent action to make prisons safer. Assaults on our hard-working staff will never be tolerated. Prisoners should expect to face sanctions and, for serious assaults, be investigated by the police. We have invested in 5,600 body-worn cameras to help protect our prison staff, and we are working with the police and Crown Prosecution Service to prosecute prisoners who assault our staff. We are also supporting the Honourable Member for Rhondda’s Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Bill, which will double the maximum sentence for an assault on an emergency worker, including prison officers. Data about assaults by prisoners, including those on prison staff, is published in the quarterly Safety in Custody statistics. The figures for January to March 2018 are scheduled to be published on 26 July 2018. The most recent statistics were published on 26 April and cover assaults to December 2017 and can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/safety-in-custody-statistics Information as to whether assaults on prison staff result in a prosecution, conviction and sentence is not collated centrally. The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Reoffenders: Sentencing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the largest number of offences committed by a person has been prior to being sent to prison for the first time in each of the last five years.

Lucy Frazer: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Pre-sentence Reports

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of pre-sentence reports presented to magistrates’ courts contained a sentence recommendation of (a) immediate custody; (b) suspended custody and (c) a community order in the last year for which information is available.

Lucy Frazer: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Prisoners' Release: Curfews

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been released from prison on Home Detention Curfew in each month in the last two years; and what offence each person released on curfew had committed.

Lucy Frazer: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Prisons

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice,  how many prisons have held events to observe (a) Holocaust Memorial Day, (b) National Black History Month and (c) Interfaith Awareness Week in each of the last five years; and what his policy is on prisons observing those events.

Lucy Frazer: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Prisons: Holocaust Memorial Day

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) potential merits of expansion to other prisons under his jurisdiction of the Empty Spaces project developed by prisoners at Magilligan Prison in Northern Ireland.

Lucy Frazer: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for International Trade

Iron and Steel: USA

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what representations he is making to (a) the EU and (b) his counterparts in EU member states on the UK's preferred options for when the exemption from US steel tariffs ends on 1 June 2018; and if he will make a statement.

Greg Hands: Holding answer received on 24 May 2018



I have been in regular contact with EU Trade Commissioner Malmström and my EU counterparts on this issue, most recently at the Trade Foreign Affairs Council on 22 May. We are working closely with the US and our EU partners to secure a permanent EU exemption to these tariffs. The UK continues to raise at the highest levels with the US Administration our concerns about the potentially damaging impact of tariffs on our steel and aluminium industries.

Trade Agreements

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if he will publish any documents pertaining to agreements reached by the Trade and Investment Working Groups.

Greg Hands: Holding answer received on 24 May 2018



We are committed to scrutiny and engagement that is inclusive, meaningful and transparent, whilst ensuring that we do not undermine or prejudice our negotiating position.In line with diplomatic practices, it would not be appropriate to take unilateral decisions on disclosing information on engagements with our trading partners. Individual announcements and statements will continue to be made available on the department’s website.

Prime Minister

Gaza: Israel

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Prime Minister, what discussions she has had with President Erdogan of Turkey on the violence at the Gaza Border of 14 May 2018.

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Prime Minister, what recent discussions she has had with President Erdogan of Turkey on human rights in that country.

Mrs Theresa May: I refer the hon. Member to the press release issued on 15 May 2018 following my meeting with President Erdogan and which is available on the gov.uk website:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-statement-with-president-erdogan

Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence: Kosovo

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) civilian staff from his Department, (b) military officers and (c) other ranks have been assigned to roles in the (i) British Embassy, Pristina, (ii) United Nations Mission in Kosovo, (iii) NATO Kosovo Force, (iv) European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo and (v) other international organisations' missions in Kosovo in each year since 2008.

Mark Lancaster: It is not possible to provide a complete answer as the information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.In 2008 the UK Defence Attaché (DA) to Kosovo was based in Pristina but has been non-resident since 2009. Since 2009 there has been one officer deployed as Advisor to the Commander of Kosovo Security Force. In 2017 two officers were deployed to KFOR HQ as staff officers and a 29 person Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Task Force (one officer and 28 other ranks) deployed to support KFOR, with two staff officers and an ISR Task Force of 31 personnel similarly deployed in 2018. Each year from 2009 to 2016 there was one UK-based Ministry of Defence civilian deployed to Kosovo as a deputy director or director to the NATO Advisory and Liaison Team (and its predecessor organisations). All posts have been funded through the Conflict, Security and Stability Fund (CSSF) apart from the DA.

Bangladesh: Military Aid

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many armed forces personnel from Bangladesh received training at Sandhurst Military Academy in each year since 1997; and whether any of the four cases of Bangladeshi military and police personnel serving in UN field missions implicated in allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse received any training from the UK military at (a) Sandhurst and (b) elsewhere.

Mark Lancaster: Sixteen Bangladeshi personnel have received training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst between 1997 and 2017. The breakdown of figures in each year cannot be provided due to Data Protection regulations.The identity of the four individuals is not known by the Ministry of Defence. The Department has received no information to suggest these incidents recently reported by the UN involve any individuals who have participated in UK training.Our vision is a world where the poorest and most vulnerable people are kept safe from harm, including from sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. It is utterly despicable that sexual exploitation and abuse still takes place, including in the aid sector and in peacekeeping operations. All training delivered by the UK Armed Forces emphasises adherence to International humanitarian law and the absolute importance of complying with human rights standards.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to Autumn Budget 2017, what progress her Department has made on the review of the taper rate for universal credit.

Alok Sharma: In April 2017 we made the taper more generous by reducing it from 65% to 63% so people can now keep even more of the money that they earn. The taper rate remains under review and the Government will continue to consider the case for further changes.

Unemployment: North East

Mr Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the reasons why unemployment is higher in the North East than in other regions of the UK.

Alok Sharma: In the three months to March 2018 the unemployment level in the North East was 63,000, a joint record low for the area. The unemployment rate stood at 4.9%, 0.1 percentage points above the record low for the North East. Estimates of unemployment differ in different areas of the country due to a range of factors such as the demographics of the local area and local labour market conditions, as well as the effects of sample variability in the Labourforce Survey on which the ONS’s Labour Market Statistics are based. (Data from the Labourforce Survey for the period January – March 2018)

Universal Credit

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants of universal credit have waited for more than (a) 2 weeks, (b) 3 weeks, (c) 4 weeks, (d) 5 weeks, (e) 6 weeks, (f) 7 weeks, (g) 8 weeks, (h) 9 weeks, (I) 10 weeks, (j) 11 weeks and (k) 12 weeks for a payment in each month since July 2017.

Alok Sharma: The requested data is attached.



Table
(Word Document, 17.9 KB)

Universal Credit: York Central

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in York Central constituency claim universal credit.

Alok Sharma: The requested information on the number of claimants by constituency is published and can be accessed at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/. Guidance on how to extract the information required can be obtained at:https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

Social Security Benefits: York Central

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many benefit claimants in York Central constituency have received sanctions in each of the last five years.

Alok Sharma: The available information on the number of individuals sanctioned by benefit and parliamentary constituency is published and can be accessed at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/ Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html We engage at a personal and individual level with all of our claimants and are committed to tailoring the support that we give, and any conditionality requirements to the specific circumstances of the individuals.We take a number of steps to make sure our decisions are fair. When considering whether a sanction is appropriate, a Decision Maker will take all the claimant’s individual circumstances, including any health conditions or disabilities and any evidence of good cause, into account before deciding whether a sanction is warranted.

Motability

Paul Girvan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the eligibility for the motability scheme to recipients of attendance allowance.

Sarah Newton: The Motability Scheme is open to anyone, including those who have reached state pension age, who qualifies for higher rate mobility component for Disability Living Allowance, the enhanced rate of the mobility component for Personal Independence Payment, Armed Forces Independence Payment or War Pensioners Mobility Supplement. Where claimants have an existing entitlement to a qualifying benefit when they reach pension age then they can retain their Motability vehicle. In these cases claimants would need to consider making a claim for the Care Component of DLA which they could receive alongside the Mobility Component. Attendance Allowance does not have a mobility component and cannot therefore be used in payment for a leased vehicle. With regard to opening up access to Motability for those in receipt of AA, the policies relating to the operation and eligibility for the scheme are determined by the Motability Charity and not DWP.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Bees: Conservation

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle the challenges faced by honeybees in the UK.

David Rutley: In England, Defra helps beekeepers tackle the challenges facing the honey bee through the work of the National Bee Unit (NBU). NBU Bee Inspectors carry out inspections for pests and diseases and provide at hive advice at over 5,000 apiaries each year. Where key pests and diseases are found the inspectors take necessary statutory action for their control. Education of beekeepers and sharing best practice are essential for healthy colonies. To this end the NBU has an extensive programme of education and training events throughout the year. We also provide some funding for the Bee Farmers Apprenticeship Scheme which aims to encourage young people to become commercial beekeepers. Contingency plans are in place outlining the Government’s response to the threat from exotic pests such as the Asian hornet. The plans have been successfully used to tackle Asian hornet outbreaks in the Southwest. Under the National Pollinator Strategy, we are encouraging the public to support honey bees and other pollinators by planting flowering plants and trees to improve the forage available and expand upon existing shelter and nest sites. We are committed to strict regulation of pesticides to ensure that they do not harm honeybees and other pollinators. Based on the scientific evidence, we supported the recent European Commission decision to tighten the existing restrictions on neonicotinoid insecticides.

Nature Conservation: Crime

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had on placing wildlife crime on sovereign base areas in Cyprus on the agenda for the Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in October 2018.

David Rutley: Defra officials have been working with a range of stakeholders in planning for the illegal wildlife trade conference in October, and we are keen to include as wide a range of species and geographies in the conference as possible. We have not yet reached a decision on the final agenda.

Air Pollution: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to (a) improve air quality and (b) reduce air pollution in York.

David Rutley: The Government is committed to improving air quality in the UK. Air quality has improved significantly over recent decades, and will continue to improve, thanks to actions we have already taken. Between 2010 and 2016, emissions of nitrogen oxides fell by 27%. However, more still needs to be done. That is why the Government is taking action which includes the UK plan for tackling roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations and £3.5 billion of investment in air quality and cleaner transport. The Government has also committed £2.84 million from the Clean Bus Technology Fund 2017-19 to enable West Yorkshire Combined Authority to retrofit buses with technology to reduce tailpipe emissions of nitrogen dioxide. Alongside national action, local authorities have a crucial role to play in improving air quality in their areas. They have a statutory duty to review and assess air quality, to declare air quality management areas (AQMAs) and to put in place action plans where air quality objectives are not being met. The City of York Council has declared three AQMAs to target pollution hotspots, and adopted an action plan in 2015 covering all three AQMAs. The Council was one of 230 English local authorities with longstanding air quality challenges that I wrote to in November 2016 to better understand the circumstances they face and to press the need for further action. The councils are taking a range of actions to improve air quality, including development of an overarching Low Emission Strategy designed to reduce emissions from all sources. Since 2006 a total of £598,078 in air quality grant funding has been awarded to the City of York Council (of which £216,008 was awarded in this year’s round) to support projects aimed at improving air quality in its area. The Government’s Air Quality Grant fund is a bid-in scheme to support local authorities to improve air quality. The Government also provides guidance and technical support to local authorities via a dedicated local air quality management helpdesk.

Plastics: Recycling

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to improve the efficiency of plastic recycling schemes.

David Rutley: The Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan published on 11 January sets out our ambition to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste. We will do this through a four point plan that takes action at each stage of the product lifecycle – production, consumption and end of life. At the production stage, this includes encouraging producers to take more responsibility for the lifespan of their products. This involves designing products that are recyclable and made from recycled materials. At the consumer stage we want to reduce demand for single use plastics and make it easier for people to recycle. We will increase the amount of plastic being recycled, including through reforming the packaging waste regulations and exploring the scope for extending producer responsibility to other areas. There will be more detail in our Resources and Waste Strategy which will be published later this year. A call for evidence on how taxes or charges could reduce waste from single use plastics closed on 18 May. The Treasury is reviewing the responses and we are working with them on future policy options.

Fly-tipping: Urban Areas

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to tackle fly-tipping in urban areas.

David Rutley: Fly-tipping is a serious crime which damages the environment and blights local communities. The Government is committed to tackling the scourge of fly-tipping in both urban and rural areas. We ensure that local authorities (LAs) have the tools that they need to tackle urban fly-tipping. In recent years we have given LAs the power to issue £400 fixed penalty notices for fly-tipping offences and have enhanced the powers available to LAs and the Environment Agency, such as the ability to search and seize the vehicles of suspected fly-tippers. Earlier this year we published our consultation on proposals to introduce a new fixed penalty for householders who pass their waste to a fly-tipper. We also intend to provide updated guidance for householders about how to ensure their waste is disposed of correctly. We are currently analysing consultation responses. Subject to the outcome of the consultation, we will seek to implement the changes later this year. As two thirds of fly-tipping contains household waste, these additional measures will further help tackle fly-tipping. As part of this Government’s Resources and Waste Strategy, we are developing our strategic approach to waste crime. This will include plans to enhance partnership working and intelligence sharing to tackle fly-tipping in both urban and rural areas. We are also committed to working with the the court system to ensure that sentences act as a suitable deterrent.

Home Office

Immigration: Crime

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many reports of immigration crime his Department received from hon. Members in each year since 2010.

Caroline Nokes: Data is available from 30 September 2012. Since that time Members of Parliament have reported immigration abuse 19 times in 2012, 113 in 2013, 101 in 2014, 219 in 2015, 162 in 2016, 73 in 2017 and 36 to date in 2018.

Refugees: Children

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to improve the processes for identifying children with rights to family reunion in the UK throughout refugee camps in Europe.

Caroline Nokes: The Government works closely with other EU Member States to enact the safe transfers of unaccompanied asylum seeking children under the family reunion provisions of the Dublin Regulation, where they have eligible family in the UK. We have liaison officers based in France, Greece and Italy to support the transfer of unaccompanied children to the UK under the Dublin Regulation and section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016.The Sandhurst Treaty, signed between the UK and France in January 2018, included measures to strengthen our cooperation with France on the operation of the Dublin Regulation, including shorter timescales for decisions and transfers. Where an unaccompanied child makes an asylum application in France, we will provide a decision to take charge of their claim within 10 working days of the conclusion of engagement with the relevant UK authority. Where we accept responsibility for assessing their asylum claim, we will aim, in cooperation with France, to transfer the child to the UK within 15 working days.The Government has also announced a £3.6M development fund, which will be used to identify projects that support genuine claims through the Dublin process and ensure that those with no prospect of transferring to the UK are informed of their options.The UK also continues our deployments to the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) to support their work in providing operational support to frontline Member States dealing with large numbers of migrant arrivals across Europe

Asma al-Assad

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make it his policy to revoke the British citizenship held by Asma al-Assad.

Mr Ben Wallace: I do not comment on individual cases.The Home Secretary can deprive individuals of their British citizenship where it is conducive to the public good to do so.

Immigrants: Detainees

Angus Brendan MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department makes payments to private companies for (a) each person in custody and detention and (b) each person deported in relation to immigration cases.

Caroline Nokes: The Department makes payments to private sector companies for the provision of contractually defined services. In the case of immigration detention facilities payment covers a holistic range of services for the operation, management and maintenance of those facilities.A private sector company is also contracted for a range of services to support the removal of individuals from the UK (including deportation). This includes the staffing short-term holding facilities at ports and reporting centres and the provision of escorting and medical staff to escort individuals to the port of departure or a destination country.

Proceeds of Crime

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many referrals has the National Crime Agency received from the Solicitors Regulation Authority in relation to potential criminal activity under (a) section 327-9 and (b) section 330 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2017.

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many investigations are being undertaking by the National Crime Agency into offences committed under (a) section 327-329 and (b) section 330 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2017.

Mr Ben Wallace: The NCA is the lead agency for the response to serious and organised crime in the UK. As described in the NCA’s 2017 / 2018 Annual Plan, the remit of the NCA is particularly focused on tackling criminality at ‘the high end of high risk’. High-end money laundering has been identified as one of the top six national priorities for agencies tackling serious and organised crime – accordingly it is a key priority for the NCA. A range of other agencies are involved in investigating and prosecuting money laundering activity.Potential money laundering investigations can be identified and triggered in different ways, such as tips, suspicious activity reports, or referrals from regulatory authorities including the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority; or through parallel investigations into a predicate offence where there are suspected proceeds of crime. The NCA does not routinely comment on specific referrals or the number of investigations underway related to particular offences.The NCA’s 2017/2018 Annual Plan can be found here: www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/889-nca-annual-plan-2018

Refugees: Children

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to improve processes for identifying children in UN-recognised refugee camps beyond Europe who have rights to family reunion in the UK.

Caroline Nokes: UNHCR closely monitor the refugee population and are constantly assessing the vulnerability of those registered with them, both inside and outside of refugee camps. This includes the identification of children in need of protection and an assessment of the possible solutions available to them. One of the key priorities of UNHCR is to protect and promote within its capacity the rights of all children falling under its mandate, and UNHCR works with national authorities, international and local organisations to assist, protect and find solutions for displaced children.Our resettlement schemes provide a safe and legal route to the UK for the most vulnerable refugees who have been referred to us by UNHCR. ‘Children and adolescents at risk’ is one of UNHCR’s seven resettlement submission categories which they use to refer refugees for resettlement under our Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS). Additionally, our Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme (VCRS) targets ‘at-risk’ children and their family members in the Middle East and North Africa region.As part of their identification and referrals process, UNHCR will establish whether registered refugees have family members overseas. Family connections in the UK may be taken into account by UNHCR but will not necessarily determine whether a person is referred the UK for resettlement - this is just one of many factors UNHCR considers when assessing a refugee’s resettlement need.If families already resettled in the UK have other family members based in one of the host countries where our resettlement schemes operate and they wish to join their extended family in the UK, there is a process by which UNHCR can be informed of the family connection. Resettled individuals should contact their local authority for more information.Additionally, our Mandate resettlement scheme is specifically designed to reunite refugees with close family members in the UK, where UNHCR has referred them for resettlement and the family member is able to accommodate them.Our family reunion policy allows immediate family members of those granted protection here to reunite with them. The Immigration Rules also provide for extended family members in the UK to sponsor children in serious and compelling circumstances. In addition, there is provision in the policy to grant visas outside the Rules in exceptional circumstances, which caters for family members who otherwise do not qualify under the Rules.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Ms Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to consult with EU citizens resident in the UK on the new IT system and process for applying for settled status.

Ms Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations his Department has received from EU citizens resident in the UK on the ease of use of the new IT system and process for applying for settled status.

Ms Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to increase awareness among EU citizens resident in the UK of the new process for applying for settled status.

Ms Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the new process for applying for settled status for EU citizens resident in the UK is user-friendly for applicants who have English as a second language.

Ms Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, by what means his Department will convey information to EU citizens resident in the UK on when they need to apply for settled status.

Ms Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what testing his Department has undertaken on the new IT system for applying for settled status to ensure that system is fit for purpose for EU citizens resident in the UK.

Ms Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that (a) government departments, (b) organisations and (c) employers are sufficiently (i) prepared for the launch of the new IT system for applying for settled status and (ii) aware of the new process for verifying citizens’ documentation in relation to applications for settled status; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Nokes: The EU Settlement Scheme is being designed with users in mind, and we are engaging with stakeholders who represent EU citizens in the UK to discuss and understand their needs. Our regular stakeholder groups include community representatives, employers, the EU27 consulates, and organisations representing vulnerable groups. We are developing a streamlined, user-friendly, digital application system, with multiple service options to meet the needs of a varied customer base, including additional support for the vulnerable.We have launched a targeted communications campaign to maximise awareness and reassure EU citizens of our commitment to protect their rights and entitlements. Activity will increase as we approach the launch of the scheme before the end of this year.

Labour Market

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he expects the final Migration Advisory Committee report assessing the impact on the UK labour market of the UK's exit from the EU to be published.

Caroline Nokes: In July 2017, the then-Home Secretary, my Rt. Hon Friend the Member for Hastings and Rye, commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to gather evidence on patterns of EU migration and the role of migration in the wider economy, ahead of our exit from the EU, and to report by September 2018. The commission can be found online here https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/633321/Commission_to_the_MAC.pdfMAC published an interim report on 27 March which is also available here https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/694494/eea-workers-uk-labour-market-interim-update.pdf

Private Life: Fraud

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to (a) reduce and (b) tackle incidences of romance fraud.

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate his Department has made of the number of incidences of romance fraud in each of the last three years.

Mr Ben Wallace: Incidents of romance fraud published by the Office for NationalStatistics in the Crime in England and Wales Appendix tables under the heading data fraud for each of the last three years are: 2015 2,5442016 2,8752017 3,364 The Joint Fraud Taskforce, which bring together government, law enforcement and banks to tackle fraud, has a programme of work committed to tackling fraud against those who are particularly vulnerable or susceptible to fraud. This work, led by National Trading Standards is considering a number of initiatives including banking interventions to prevent victims transferring large sums of money and better identifying and assisting vulnerable victims. In addition the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign is designed to help encourage the public to protect themselves from fraud and scams, providing advice on specific behaviours to help them be more resilient to fraudulent approaches. The campaign was developed jointly by the banking industry, Government experts and the Joint Fraud Taskforce.All incidents of Romance Fraud should be reported to Action Fraud, the national fraud reporting line operated by City of London Police, which enables the police to develop intelligence and track down those committing this crime.

Deportation

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has plans to suspend or discontinue deportation charter flights.

Caroline Nokes: The majority of enforced immigration returns are undertaken using scheduled flights alongside fare-paying passengers. Charter flight operations are an important means to return Foreign National Offenders and others without a right to remain in the UK where there are limited scheduled routes or where there could potentially be more disruptive immigration offenders.

Visas: South Asia

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 9 October 2017 to Question 106813 on Visas: South Asia, how many and what proportion of applications for visitor visas have been granted in (a) India, (b) Pakistan, (c) Sri Lanka and (d) Nepal in each of the last five years.

Caroline Nokes: The information on Visitor visas relates to grants worldwide by nationality, and is published quarterly as part of Home Office’s publication scheme, in the ‘Immigration Statistics’, Visas data tables, Volume 3, latest edition available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-march-2018.

Visas: India

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of visitor visas granted in India since 2012 in which were compassionate grounds were taken into consideration.

Caroline Nokes: The information you have requested is not included in statistics published by the Home Office.The information requested is not available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost by examination of thousands of cases.However, published information on Visitor visas relating to grants worldwide by nationality, is published quarterly as part of Home Office’s publication scheme, in the ‘Immigration Statistics’, Visas data tables, Volume 3. The latest edition is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-march-2018.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Buildings: Fire Prevention

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many privately-owned buildings identified with unsafe aluminium composite material cladding have (a) started and (b) finished replacing such cladding.

James Brokenshire: Data is still being collected on remediation of private sector buildings.

High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of councils' legal (a) powers and (b) duties to compel the testing of privately-owned high rise blocks with suspected unsafe cladding.

James Brokenshire: Local housing authorities have obligations to ensure that housing in their areas is of an acceptable standard. They can take enforcement action against owners of buildings in their area that are not acting responsibly in respect of hazards, and we want them to use these powers to ensure residents are safe.To support the identification of private sector residential buildings over 18 metres with potentially unsafe Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding, on 17 May, I issued a direction to all Local Housing Authorities to pay particular regard to cladding-related issues when reviewing housing in their areas.

High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what options he is considering to ensure that all privately-owned tower blocks remove and replace unsafe cladding.

James Brokenshire: Since the Grenfell tragedy the Government has worked with fire and rescue services, local authorities and landlords, to identify high rise buildings with unsafe cladding, ensure interim measures are in place to reduce risks, and give building owners clear advice about what they need to do, over the longer term, to make buildings safe.I will shortly be holding an industry roundtable on the barriers to the remediation of buildings with unsafe cladding. I have said that we rule nothing out at this stage.The Government will fully fund the removal and replacement of potentially dangerous Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding on buildings over 18 metres owned by social landlords, with costs estimated at £400 million.

Grenfell Tower: Fires

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the timescale is for all the people who survived the Grenfell Tower fire to have moved into permanent new housing.

James Brokenshire: The Government is working closely with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) to support them to ensure that former residents of Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk are be provided with a new permanent home within a year of the fire. The latest figures from RBKC, as of 21 May states that 203 (97 per cent of 210 households) from Grenfell Tower or Walk have accepted an offer of either temporary or permanent accommodation, and 76 households have moved into permanent accommodation.The Council has acquired over 300 properties for those who lost their homes, so each household can choose a good quality property that meets their needs, with the option of staying in the area if that is what they wish. We expect all households, regardless of their level of engagement, to be given whatever support they require to be rehoused as quickly as possible. However, due to the complexities of each individual case we are unable to provide an exact estimate of when all households from Grenfell Tower or Walk will be permanently rehoused. The Government will continue to play its part, providing support and challenge to the Council, and financial support currently worth more than £72 million.

Grenfell Tower: Fires

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many households in (a) Barandon Walk, (b) Testerton Walk, (c) Hurstway Walk, (d) Treadgold House and (e) Bramley House have required rehousing as a result of the Grenfell Tower fire; and how many of those households have been rehoused in (i) emergency, (ii) temporary and (iii) permanent accommodation.

James Brokenshire: The latest figures from Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC), as of 21 May states that the number of households from (a) Barandon Walk, (b) Testerton Walk, (c) Hurstway Walk, (d) Treadgold House and (e) Bramley House who currently require permanent rehousing as a result of the Grenfell Fire within the Wider Grenfell Rehousing Policy is as follows:(a) Barandon Walk: 38(b) Testerton Walk: 24(c) Hurstway Walk: 21(d) Treadgold House:2(e) Bramley House: 372 of these households are in temporary accommodation, 14 of these households are in hotels and two in serviced apartments.39 households from these buildings have moved back to their original residence or into another permanent property.We are working with RBKC to ensure residents are able to return to their homes where possible. We have allocated £15 million of funds in the last Budget, which will be matched by RBKC, to invest into the Lancaster West Estate.

Grenfell Tower: Fires

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, by what date he expects households in (a) Barandon Walk, (b) Testerton Walk, (c) Hurstway Walk, (d) Treadgold House and (e) Bramley House which require rehousing as a result of the Grenfell Tower fire to be permanently rehoused.

James Brokenshire: The vast majority of residents from the wider estate either remained in their homes, or have since returned home since taking up emergency accommodation following the fire. Of the 128 households from these buildings who moved into emergency accommodation as a result of the fire, 39 households have chosen to move back to their original residence or have moved into other permanent accommodation. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) expects that this number will continue to increase in the coming weeks. The remaining households in temporary accommodation (72), hotels (14), or serviced apartments (2) who do not want to return to their original residence will be permanently rehoused as quickly as possible through the Council's housing register. However, due to the complexities of each individual case it is not possible to provide an exact estimate of when all households will be permanently rehoused.We are working with RBKC to ensure residents are able to return to their homes where possible. We have allocated £15 million of funds in the last Budget, which will be matched by RBKC, to invest into the Lancaster West Estate.

Right to Buy Scheme

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much local authorities have been required to pay back to HM Treasury in right to buy receipts in each financial year since 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: As stated in the answer to PQ UIN 132538, answered on 22 March 2018, and PQ UIN 133274, answered on 26 March 2018, the Department does not publish this information, because it quickly falls out of date. This is due to operational reasons, as the 167 local authorities that have made relevant sales since 2012 have to estimate the amounts due, which are then made more accurate as a result of periodic review and reconciliation exercises.

High Rise Flats: Tenure

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many residential high-rise buildings there are by tenure in each local authority area in England.

James Brokenshire: This information is not publicly available. Information on dwellings in high-rise buildings is available from the English Housing Survey (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/english-housing-survey#2016-to-2017) but the sample size of the survey does not allow for local authority area estimates.

Local Government Finance

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 2 May 2018 to Question 140664 on Local Government Finance, for what reason the information is not held centrally; and who within his Department made the decision not to hold that information centrally.

James Brokenshire: Our engagement is ongoing and takes place through a wide range of channels and fora. It would not be feasible to summarise the entirety of our engagement activity as a Department.

Affordable Housing: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to create more affordable housing in London.

James Brokenshire: The Mayor has lead responsibility for the delivery of affordable housing in London.At Spring Statement 2018, the Chancellor announced that we will be providing London with an additional £1.67 billion from the Affordable Homes Programme to support the Mayor to build a further 26,000 affordable homes – two-third would be homes for rent, including at social rent. This has increased our investment in London to over £4.8 billion for at least 116,000 affordable homes by March 2022.

Housing: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect of housing costs and supply in London on the ability of employers to recruit staff.

James Brokenshire: We have not conducted analysis in the form requested but we know that the levels of housing affordability in London are significant. That is why we announced at Spring Statement this year - a £1.67 billion funding boost to support the Mayor to build a further 26,000 affordable homes, two-thirds of which will be homes for rent including at social rent. This has increased our investment in London to over £4.8 billion for at least 116,000 homes by March 2022. With this additional investment to London, we expect the Mayor to now play his role, by delivering a substantial step change in housing delivery in London.

Building Regulations: Fire Prevention

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to improve Building Regulations relating to (a) desktop studies and (b) other aspects of fire safety.

James Brokenshire: The Government’s consultation on restricting or banning desktop studies from being used to assess the fire performance of cladding systems closes on 25 May. Inappropriate use of desktop studies is unacceptable and we will not hesitate to ban them, subject to consideration of the consultation responses. We have committed to publishing a clarified version of Approved Document B (building regulations fire safety guidance) in July for consultation, and we will also consult on banning the use of combustible materials in cladding systems on high-rise residential buildings.

High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which companies and organisations have been invited to attend the proposed roundtable discussion on the removal and replacement of cladding on privately owned tower blocks.

James Brokenshire: We are organising two separate roundtable discussions with both leaseholders and industry which will take place shortly.9 private owners of leasehold properties, the Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE), the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership, the National Fire Chiefs Council and the Homeowners Alliance have been invited to the leaseholder roundtable.Invitations to the industry roundtable are being finalised.

Cabinet Office

Prime Minister

Mr Peter Bone: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with whom he would plan to co-ordinate the delivery of Government objectives in the event that the Prime Minister was temporarily or permanently incapacitated.

Chloe Smith: Coordination of the delivery of government business occurs through the Cabinet Committee system as set out in the Cabinet Manual. In the event the Prime Minister is unable to attend Cabinet or any of its Committees the Committees may proceed in her absence chaired by the next most senior minister in the order of precedence. In the event of the permanent incapacity of the Prime Minister, the appointment of a new Prime Minister is a matter for Her Majesty The Queen acting under the Royal Prerogative.

Local Government: Elections

Conor McGinn: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the news release entitled Thousands of voters turned away from polling stations in mandatory ID trials, published by the Electoral Reform Society on 4 May 2018, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of the estimate by the Electoral Reform Society that 3,981 people were turned away from polling stations across the five pilot areas; and if he will make an estimate of what that figure would be in the event that the scheme was rolled out nationally.

Chloe Smith: Holding answer received on 22 May 2018



Requiring some form of identification to vote was successfully tested at the local elections on 3 May by five local authorities: Bromley, Gosport, Swindon, Watford and Woking. The overwhelming majority of people cast their vote without a problem and the success of the pilots proves that this is a reasonable and proportionate measure to take, and there was no notable adverse effect on turnout.The estimate by the political lobby group the Electoral Reform Society is exaggerated and inaccurate. Data from Returning Officers across all five participating local authorities shows that there were 340 electors asked to return to the polling station with the correct identification who did not subsequently return. This represents 0.16% of the votes cast.This reflects that such identification was a brand new requirement, and a few electors may not have read the publicity that they were sent about the pilots.

Electoral Register: Fixed Penalties

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many fixed penalty notices local authorities have issued to individuals who have failed to register to vote in each year for which data is available.

Chloe Smith: The Cabinet Office does not hold this information. The issuing of fixed penalty notices is at the discretion of individual Electoral Registration Officers. It should be noted that penalties exist for failing to respond to requests for information from EROs (such as not completing a Household Enquiry Form or an Invitation to Register) rather than for failing to register to vote.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many times the Electoral Commission has used its statutory power to make recommendations to central Government to require electoral registration officers to engage in door-to-door canvassing in each year since that power came into effect.

Chloe Smith: None.

Treasury

Helicopters: VAT

Peter Dowd: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost to the public purse has been of the value added tax exemption for the sale and chartering of helicopters in (a) 2015-16 and (b) 2016-17.

Mel Stride: The details that HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) collects from taxpayers on their VAT returns are not specific enough to provide this information. The sale and chartering of helicopters is only zero-rated for VAT purposes when: They are used by airlines who operate for reward chiefly on international routes; or They are used by state institutions, and have a weight of not less than 8,000 kg.

Aircraft: VAT

Peter Dowd: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost to the public purse has been of the value added exemption for the sale or chartering of civil aeroplanes in (a) 2015-16 and (b) 2016-17.

Mel Stride: The details that HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) collects from taxpayers on their VAT returns are not specific enough to provide this information. The sale and chartering of civil aeroplanes is only zero-rated for VAT purposes when: They are used by airlines who operate for reward chiefly on international routes; or They are used by state institutions, and have a weight of not less than 8,000 kg.

Shared Ownership: Stamp Duty Land Tax

Stephen Hammond: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether a first-time buyer purchasing a shared ownership resale property qualifies for the first-time buyer relief on Stamp Duty Land Tax if they elect to pay that tax on the full value of the property rather than on the share being purchased.

Mel Stride: The option to elect to pay Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) on the full market value of shared ownership property can only be made by the first purchaser on the initial grant of a lease to them. Subsequent purchasers are not able to make an election. However, where there is a resale of a shared ownership property, first time buyers’ relief will be available where the purchase price is £500,000 or below.

Company Cars: Taxation

Neil Parish: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to publish the benefit-in-kind bands for after 2021.

Mel Stride: The government normally announces changes to the details of the banding for calculating the value of the benefit-in-kind for company cars three years in advance of implementation.

Overseas Trade

Nigel Dodds: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the (a) checks and (b) controls placed on goods exiting the UK destined for markets outside the EU are.

Mel Stride: A customs export declaration must be completed before commercial goods can be taken outside the EU. In most cases this is an electronic export declaration which is submitted via HMRC’s National Export System (NES), although exceptionally paper export declarations may be used. HMRC automatically risk assesses all export declarations, and in a minority of cases will carry out more detailed documentary checks. In some circumstances, Border Force staff may intercept the goods to undertake physical examinations or stop the movement of particular consignments. Exports of some goods are controlled. Businesses may need to apply for a licence, or comply with specific regulations when moving relevant goods. The types of goods that may be subject to additional controls include: weapons and other goods and technologies with a potential military use; some agricultural products and processed foods; valuable antiques and works of art; dangerous chemicals, and; live animals, plants and meat. Further information can be found on the HMRC website. Goods exported from the EU will be subject to the import procedures of the country they arrive in. It is the legal responsibility of the importing business or individual in the destination country to ensure that they comply with all relevant processes and checks, including paying import duties where required.

Child Benefit

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his policy is on child benefit being paid in respect of all children in a family, regardless of their number.

Elizabeth Truss: Child Benefit helps with the costs of raising children, such as the cost of food, clothing and other necessities. This benefit remains universal, while a minority of families have some or all of their Child Benefit charged back via the High Income Child Benefit Charge.

Defence Fire and Rescue Service

Ruth Smeeth: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the Treasury Approval note relating to the Defence Fire and Rescue project.

Elizabeth Truss: The Defence Fire and Rescue Project aims to identify whether an industry service provider will provide increased value for money in the delivery of a worldwide Defence Fire and Rescue Service. A decision on the outcome of this project will be announced in due course.

Aerospace Industry: Research

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the value of corporation tax relief on research and development for aerospace-related projects claimed by the (a) University of Bristol (b) University of Cambridge (c) Cranfield University (d) University of Sheffield (e) University of Southampton (f)  University of Strathclyde's Advanced Forming Research Centre (g) Welding Institute was in each of the last five financial years.

Mel Stride: This information cannot be released because of HMRC’s duty of taxpayer confidentiality.

Boeing

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the value of claims made for capital gains roll-over relief by Boeing UK was in each of the last five financial years.

Mel Stride: This information cannot be released because of HMRC’s duty of taxpayer confidentiality.

Boeing

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the value was of tax relief claimed by Boeing Defence UK Ltd in each of the last five financial years.

Mel Stride: This information cannot be released because of HMRC’s duty of taxpayer confidentiality.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Sports: Betting

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to restrict advertising of in-play sports betting; and if he will make a statement.

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to restrict the advertising of online gambling viewable by children.

Tracey Crouch: We considered advertising as part of our Review of Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility. The response was published on 17 May. The Review looked at protections around gambling advertising across all media and set out a package of initiatives to strengthen protections further, including forthcoming guidance from the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) on protecting children and young people. We do not propose to bring forward legislation at this stage, however we will keep these issues under review.